Facebook denies that it is spying on users

Social notworking site Facebook has denied that a
chainletter which is being distributed on its site is telling the truth about
users who can read all their personal data.

The email reads: "All FB friends. This is important. Do
this asap! Go to settings. Click on privacy settings. Click on block users. in
[sic] the name box enter 'automation labs'. A list of approx 20 people you dont
even know will come up. Block each one individually. These people have access
to your facebook account/profile and spy on what you do … "

In a statement Facebook said that the chain message
claims certain users have special access to profile information. It’s not true,
and we don’t know where it originated. The message exploits a standard Facebook search feature
within the settings on a user's Facebook page.

Facebook's privacy settings include a feature to block
certain people from a user's profile. Once a user types the name of the person
he wishes to block, Facebook generates a list of all Facebook users with either
that name, a similar name or people associated with the name. So if a user typed in Automation Labs as directed, a
window popped up listing people associated with Automation Labs.

However typing in any name will produce a similar list of
associated users or those with similar names. All the chain mail does is instruct Facebook users to
block people they probably don't know, which is harmless.